As Ryan distanced himself from Lucas, he slowly began to feel the transformation in his body.
Although this transformation was not as intense as when he copied the Advanced Cultivation Talent, it still brought a slight burning sensation.
Finally, after 5 minutes, the transformation ended, and his body temperature gradually returned to normal.
"Um?"
Ryan then realized that a large number of students from Third Martial Academy had gathered around the training ground.
Being pointed at and talked about like a monkey by so many people made him very uncomfortable.
He looked toward Elias.
"Let's get out of here quickly. It's uncomfortable to be watched by so many people."
"There's a restaurant nearby that's pretty good. Since it's almost noon, let's go there for lunch."
Elias then looked toward Claire.
Claire naturally had no objection.
Ryan looked at Lucas.
"Together!"
"Um."
Lucas glanced quickly at Claire beside Elias, and seeing that she had no objections, he quickly replied.
Finally, the 4 of them arrived at the restaurant Elias had mentioned.
It was a restaurant with rather elegant decorations.
The double doors were covered with exquisite patterns that immediately caught the eye. It was obvious at a glance that considerable effort had gone into their craftsmanship.
"Young master, young lady, please come in!"
As soon as they reached the entrance, a young man dressed in a neat black uniform stepped forward, opened the door for the 4 of them, and respectfully gestured for them to enter.
"Um."
After casually giving the other party a small tip, and with the man's attitude becoming even more attentive, Ryan and the other 3 entered the restaurant.
The walls inside were bright yellow.
Square tables and chairs were arranged with generous spacing between them, while valuable potted plants and decorative artworks were placed throughout the room.
The room did not feel empty.
Instead, it gave off an elegant and expensive atmosphere.
The 4 chose a table and sat down.
Soon, a waiter came over and respectfully handed each of them a menu.
Ryan took the menu and glanced at it.
There were many dishes listed.
Mashed potatoes, fruit salad, crispy chicken wings, pork chops, cheese bread, and many others.
There were so many choices that Ryan didn't know what to choose for a moment.
He glanced at Elias beside him.
Elias smiled mysteriously and said,
"Choose whatever you like, it's on me, but I recommend the braised pork chop. It's the restaurant's signature dish!"
In the end, all 4 of them chose the braised pork chop.
Ryan chose it because of Elias's recommendation, while Claire and Lucas had obviously been to this restaurant before and already knew what was good here, since it wasn't far from Third Martial Academy.
The pigs used by the restaurant were a unique breed found in this world.
Their meat was particularly tender and naturally carried a faint smoky aroma.
Once cooked, the flavor became even richer, and the meat was considered a luxury ingredient commonly served by wealthy families.
Sure enough, when the pork chops were brought over, an enticing aroma immediately filled the air.
Ryan glanced at the golden-brown pork chop on his plate, then picked up his knife and sliced into the edge.
The meat separated easily beneath the blade.
It wasn't because Ryan had used his strength.
The pork remained extremely tender even after being cooked.
He picked up a slice with his fork and placed it in his mouth.
A rich flavor immediately spread across his tongue.
Soft, delicate, fragrant...
The combination made Ryan's eyes brighten slightly.
The flavor was comparable to food prepared by excellent chefs from his previous life.
Although the seasoning itself wasn't particularly extraordinary, the natural smoky aroma of the meat more than compensated for it.
After lunch, the 4 of them parted ways.
Elias still had something to do and did not return to Aegis Martial Academy with Ryan.
Ryan walked back alone.
Even after leaving the restaurant, the aroma of the meal seemed to linger on his tongue.
However, he was also slightly astonished by the price.
The restaurant was clearly intended for wealthy customers.
A meal like this was not something an ordinary person would casually eat every day.
When Ryan returned to Aegis Martial Academy, it was already around noon.
Usually, he would have taken a short nap at this time.
But today, he wasn't sleepy at all.
Instead of returning to his dormitory, he went directly to the grove where he usually trained.
Having acquired Advanced Martial Arts Talent, he was itching to test just how much of a difference it would make.
Snap!
Standing in the grove, Ryan reached out and gripped the hilt of his familiar saber.
A strange feeling immediately arose.
He had used this saber for a long time.
He knew its weight, balance, length, and reach extremely well.
But now, the moment he held it, the feeling was somehow different.
It wasn't that the saber had become unfamiliar.
Rather, his perception of it had changed.
In the past, when Ryan held a saber, the saber was simply a weapon in his hands.
There was still a clear distinction between himself and the weapon.
But now, the moment he grasped it, the saber almost seemed to become an extension of his own arms.
"Is this an affinity for martial arts?"
Sensing this change, Ryan's face lit up with joy.
The saber felt far more natural in his hands than before.
Without a doubt, his control over it had already changed.
Whoosh!
Ryan moved.
The saber flashed forward as he performed the 1st move of the Blazing Heaven Severing Saber.
The moment the technique ended, Ryan froze slightly.
This was the move he was most familiar with.
He had practiced it countless times.
Yet now, after performing it only once, he immediately noticed flaws he had never seen before.
The angle was slightly too high...
The sharpness of the blade was not being fully utilized...
If the saber were extended forward another 3 centimeters, the movement would become smoother...
One realization after another appeared in his mind.
Never before had Ryan gained so many new insights from performing a single movement.
Previously, his saber technique had improved mainly through accumulated practice.
As he repeated the same movements again and again, his understanding slowly deepened.
But now, his understanding no longer seemed gradual.
It had become rapid.
Things he might previously have needed 10 days or half a month to understand could now become clear after performing the movement only once.